The Little Things
Record low temperatures. Paralyzing snowstorms. Snow piled so high it has insurance company phones ringing with unprecedented claims. The winter from hell.
And finally, it looks like the tide of our season is starting to turn.
For me, it���s more than the temperatures being a reasonable 35 degrees instead of hovering around zero. Since I walk my neighborhood with the dog every day, small details have brought me the strangest joy.
A peek of the grass, once hidden by buried snow, appears along the roadside. Maybe not much to us people, but to my miniature schnauzer the better spot to sniff means everything. She���s one fussy dog and snow doesn���t figure into her bathroom plans.
How I Felt This Winter
Hibernating neighbors have ventured from their homes. How I���ve missed their smiling faces! Months of chilly, lonely walks around my block, reminiscent of Omar Sharif���s journey in Dr. Zhivago��� I���ll stop���so it wasn���t that bad. Still, I���ve missed the camaraderie of my friendly neighbors during my strolls. This week, I saw many familiar faces.��A sure sign we���re heading out of the storm.
For over two months, stacked snow from countless snowfalls has sat on the rooftop of my daughter���s unused car (due to her semester abroad). Yesterday, it miraculously disappeared. Cross that chore of my list. Thanks Mother Nature.
What? I have a back deck? About half the snow has disappeared, not enough to grab the sunscreen and work on my tan, but the gas grill is finally within reach without slipping on snowshoes.
In a few months, the delights I���m treasuring will seem commonplace. Grass will be something to mow. The deck will be something to be brushed or cleaned off before use. Greeting the neighbors won���t be filled with dramatic winter-war stories of our time apart. More like a simple, ���How���s it going?���
So for now, I���ll appreciate the little things I see every day as we transition to spring. Pretty soon, I���ll be wearing flip-flops and complaining about the heat. Because deep down, I do love winter.
New Cover!
I did get one BIG thing handed to me recently��� a new cover for Share the Moon from Kensington Books! A more suitable cover to the content, and one I���m thrilled to share. So excuse the shameless plug, but I���m still a little punchy from the frigid temperatures.
Are you noticing any��little things��around you this week as��spring tip-toes toward us?
